Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) produces bitter-tasting triterpene saponins that must be removed prior to consumption, significantly adding to production costs. Breeders have therefore prioritized the development of low-saponin "sweet" cultivars with little concern for the ecological benefits these compounds may confer. Quinoa saponins are thought to provide protection against herbivores and microbial pathogens, although there is very little data to support these assumptions. Here we begin to address the question of whether biologically relevant concentrations of saponins exert negative effects against insects and pathogens that attack quinoa, as well as against species not associated with quinoa. Using bran of the coastal genotype Cáhuil as the source of saponins, we conducted feeding assays with larvae of 3 noctuid insect species. Antifungal activity against 8 species was assayed using bran extract incorporated into PDA media. Quinoa bran showed insecticidal activity against only the non-quinoa feeder Pseudaletia impuncta , while the quinoa feeders T richoplusia ni and Feltia subterranea were not affected. The bran extract inhibited fungal colony growth of Alternaria arborescens , Botrytis cinerea , and Phytophthora cinnamomi by approximately 50% but had less growth inhibitory effect on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae, Pestalotiopsis clavispora , Penicillium digitatum , Geotrichum sp ., and the quinoa pathogen Phoma sp. The relatively higher inhibitory activity against some pathogen species did not necessarily correlate with their expected pathogenicity against quinoa. The results of this study suggest that, while the quinoa saponins present in bran and bran extracts may provide some protection against certain insects and phytopathogens, species-specific responses need further exploration.
Tracheal acariosis in Apis mellifera (honey bee) is caused by the endoparasitic mite Acarapis woodi and affects the respiratory system. This disease has received very little empirical attention in Chile. Its prevalence is unknown, as is whether its prevalence varies during different times of the year. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency of A. woodi and to estimate whether there is variation in its expression among beekeeping seasons. A total of 1,408 hives were sampled between 2012 and 2016. The results showed that the average prevalence in the country was 10.1%, with prevalences of 12.2% and 5.3% in the productive season and nonproductive season, respectively. A higher prevalence of tracheal acariosis was detected in the productive season. This study was the first to examine the prevalence of this disease in Chile. These findings provide insight into the prevalence of the disease in the Chilean context and can help to advance decisions about sanitary beehive management in the future.
High levels of animal performance and health depend on high-quality nutrition. Determining forage quality both reliably and quickly is essential for improving animal production. The present study describes the use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for the quantification of nutritional quality (dry matter (DM), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and the WSC/CP ratio) in samples from fresh pastures in southern Chile (39° to 40° S). Calibration models were developed with wet chemistry and NIRS spectral data using partial least squares regression (PLSR). The coefficients of determination in the validation set ranged between 0.69 and 0.93, and the error of prediction varied from 0.064 to 2.89. The evaluation of the model confirmed the high predictive ability of NIRS for DM and CP and its low predictive ability for DMD, OMD, NDF and the WSC/CP ratio. It was not possible to obtain a model for WSC because it would have required an increased number of samples to improve the spectral variability and the R2 value (> 80%).
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of live weight and body condition score, measured at different growth stages, on the rebreeding of first-calf heifers. A total of 120 Nellore and Charolais crossbred heifers born between 2004 and 2008 were assessed. Their average age was 26±1 months, they were all from the same herd, and they received the same management from birth. To conduct this study, pre- and postpartum measurements of first-calf heifers were taken. The data were submitted to analysis of variance, and the means were compared using Student’s t-test at a significance level of α=0.05. A higher live weight of the heifer at 24 months enabled early calving within the first calving season (r=-0.30). First-calf heifers that rebred had a higher live weight at weaning (361 kg vs. 333 kg) than those that did not, although their live weights at calving were similar (344 kg vs. 332 kg). The rebreeding of first-calf heifers that gave birth with the same body condition score as in the first calving was dependent on positive live weight gain until the end of the following breeding season, especially during the calving-weaning period.
A field experiment was performed to determine the effects of tembotrione and atrazine residues in soil on sugar beet eight months after herbicide application. The treatments included sugar beet cultivation with tembotrione-contaminated soil (50.4 g a.i. ha(-1)), tembotrione (100.8 g a.i. ha(-1)), tembotrione and atrazine (50.4 g a.i. ha(-1) + 2 L a.i. ha(-1)), tembotrione and atrazine (100.8 g a.i. ha(-1) + 2 L a.i. ha(-1)), atrazine (2 L a.i. ha(-1)) and soil without herbicide application. In general, in comparison to the control, when sugar beets were grown following any of the herbicide treatments, the crop dry biomass was reduced. However, only treatments sprayed with a high rate of tembotrione significantly reduced sugar beet yield.
This study discusses how soil moisture influences the seed yield of two castor plant varieties in an arid zone in Mexico. An experiment was set up with two factors: soil moisture, with three levels (high = -0.05 MPa, medium = -0.31 MPa and low = -0.91 MPa), and castor variety (Krishna and Rincon). The combination resulted in a factorial 3 × 2 experimental design. The experiment was set up as a randomized block with four replications under a split-plot arrangement, where the whole plots were for soil moisture and the subplots were for the castor variety. The measured variables were plant height (PH), days to flowering of 50% of the plants (DF), leaf area (LA), dry weight (DW), source-sink relationship, harvest index (HI) and seed yield. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, mean tests (HSD at α = 0.05) and regression analysis. There were significant differences in PH, LA, DW, HI and yield among the treatments. The values of PH, LA and DW tended to be higher at higher soil moisture levels than at lower moisture levels. The source strength was generally lower than the sink strength in all the treatments. There were significant differences between the varieties for HI, and the interaction between soil moisture and variety was also significant. Significant differences were found in yield; the Krishna variety had a greater yield than the Rincon variety, but there was only a significant difference between the yield of the Krishna variety cultivated under low soil moisture (5200 kg ha-1) and that of the Rincon variety cultivated under high soil moisture (2570 kg ha-1). The results of this study indicate that castor plants can be cultivated in arid regions at suboptimal soil moisture levels with supplementary irrigation without compromising plant performance or yield.
A series of pyrimidinol-based compounds have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to increase seedling biomass during seedling development. The compounds have the ability to reduce oxidative stress catalytically as natural phenolic antioxidants such as α-tocopherol do, but more efficiently. As a result, a compound with an appropriate structure (lipophilicity) effectively reduces the oxidative stress generated during seedling development, thus increasing biomass accumulation. Tomato seeds were pretreated with the synthesized antioxidants Py1C, Py8C and Py12C using acetone as the vehicle for application. None of the analogs tested affected total germination or hypocotyl dry biomass; however, seed treatment with Py8C and Py12C successfully increased radicle dry biomass by, on average, 44 % and 88 %, respectively. Compounds with these properties may be useful for the production of seedlings with enhanced characteristics such as vigor and stress resistance.
Postharvest diseases in fruits cause serious losses of fresh produce worldwide. The application of synthetic fungicides for the control of postharvest diseases such as anthracnose in mangoes can cause adverse effects on the environment and on human and animal health and has generated phytopathogen resistance. Biological control with the application of marine yeasts and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides can be an alternative to prevent anthracnose in Ataulfo mango fruits. The results showed that different doses of ClO2 inhibited the mycelium growth and spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in vitro. When ClO2 and the marine yeasts Debaryomyces hansenii and Rhodotorula minuta were applied to mango fruits, no signs of anthracnose disease incidence and lesion diameter were observed (LSD, p<0.05). Therefore, the application of ClO2 plus antagonist yeasts provides excellent control of anthracnose disease in Ataulfo mango fruits.
The effects of different poultry manure fertilization levels and cutting times on the growth of Moringa oleifera were evaluated. A factorial design comparing six levels of poultry manure (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg N ha(-1)) and three cutting times (4, 6 and 8 months) with four replicates was used. One month after sowing, fertilization was performed. At each cutting time, 20 plants were collected per treatment for height and diameter measurements. Stem, leaf and whole plant biomass values were assessed for each plot based on the rate of fertilization with poultry manure and the cutting time. The results showed that irrespective of the cutting time, the largest plant height and diameter were obtained with 200 kg N ha(-1) (160.37 +/- 6.33 cm and 2.37 +/- 0.33 cm, respectively). The biomass of stems, leaves and whole plants increased with the level of N fertilization. The highest biomass was obtained with cutting at 6 months and a fertilization rate of 200 kg N ha(-1) (1.51 +/- 0.01, 0.90 +/- 0.01 and 2.41 +/- 0.05 t MS/ha, respectively, for leaves, stems and whole plants). In conclusion, the application of poultry manure at a rate of 200 kg N ha(-1) at the vegetative growth stage is optimal for Moringa oleifera production.
The effects of unconventional oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, black seed and hemp oils) on in vitro rumen fermentation and methane (CH4) production were examined in a 24-h batch culture experiment. Treatments consisted of a control (no oil supplement), a control plus corn oil, or a control plus the unconventional oils. Oils were added to rumen cultures at 500 mg L-1 (equivalent to 3.3 g oil.kg(-1) of dietary dry matter (DM)). After 24 h of incubation, CH4 production was not different between the control and the corn oil treatment. Of the six unconventional oils tested, only the hemp and blueberry oils reduced CH4 production by 10-16% relative to that of the control and corn oil treatments. Dry matter degradability and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were not affected by the addition of oils. Except for a reduction in the acetate concentration with the raspberry and hemp oils, all tested unconventional oils had no effects on fermentation and the VFA profile relative to those of the control. In conclusion, our results showed that hemp and blueberry oils were moderately effective in reducing rumen CH4 formation without compromising rumen fermentation and digestibility.
Root variation has become an important target for geneticists, ecologists, and breeders, given its direct influence on plant adaptation, resilience to climate change, and biomass and seed yields. However, the underground nature of roots has limited the assessment of root variability in plant species. In this study, we evaluated several root traits in a sample of distinct yellow lupin accessions grown under cold conditions and at three time points. Analyses of variance showed a highly significant accession (genotype) effect on primary root length (PRL), primary root area (PRA), and total root area (TRA), indicating that at least part of the root variation was explained by a genetic component. Significant accession*time interactions for PRL and PRA suggested that root growth rates (assessed using these traits) may change over time across genotypes; however, a more extensive study including a larger number of accessions and growing times must be conducted to confirm this finding. Differences among L. luteus accessions in PRL, PRA and TRA suggest the existence of favorable variation in plantlet root traits and the possibility of breeding stronger and better-established yellow lupin plants when grown under cold conditions.
The article examines the causes of the enological frontier of the Southern Cone of America, located in the Andes Mountains, with the predominance of the Malbec variety to the east of the Andes (Argentina) and of Cabernet-Sauvignon to the west (Chile). It was discovered that this wine boundary was established in the 19th century, when Cabernet-Sauvignon exceeded Malbec with a ratio of nine to one in Chile, while in Argentina, Malbec represented 75% of the national viticulture. The cause of this divergence is found in the different vinicultural subjects who led the process of expanding and consolidating the French paradigm in each country. In Chile, this role fitted the national bourgeoisie, who were used the capital accumulated in mining, finance and other activities to further the viticulture in their country. The bourgeoisie could abide by a technical mandate that preached the enological superiority of Cabernet-Sauvignon. In contrast, in Argentina, the architects of the expansion were the poor peasants who became small winegrowers. The shortage of capital led them to find a more productive variety, and their conviction led them to persist in the cultivation of Malbec. The rebellion of small winegrowers against the mandate of technocrats laid the foundation for the emergence of Malbec as an emblematic grapevine of Argentina.
Pitseed goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri) is an ecologically diverse wild/weedy North American species within the primary gene pool for improving South American quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). Both taxa are 36-chromosome allotetraploids with subgenomes AA and BB. The A genome is found in a large number of diploids in the Americas, along with one Northeast Asian taxon, and was recently shown to be the maternal ancestor, while the paternal B genome is closely related to several extant Eurasian diploids. Two of our primary objectives were 1) to determine the extent of genetic diversity in the allotetraploid C. berlandieri-quinoa-hircinum complex and 2) to characterize the evolutionary path from polyploidization to domestication in these taxa. In an effort to survey genetic diversity, in 2018, we made seed collections of southern Texas, southern Great Plains, and New England coastal ecotypes of C. berlandieri as well as sympatric diploids. With respect to the second goal, we performed whole-genome sequencing of two Sonoran Desert Chenopodium A-genome diploids in subsection Cellulata and Andean cultivated C. pallidicaule in subsection Leiosperma. When paired reads were aligned to the whole-genome reference of C. quinoa strain 'QQ74', the match percentages were 99.31, 99.23, and 98.53 for C. watsonii, C. sonorense, and C. pallidicaule, respectively. These data strongly support C. watsonii as being the most closely related of these three species to the A-genome ancestor of quinoa. Ongoing sequencing efforts with a larger panel of diploids are aimed at identifying the maternal ancestor of C. quinoa and C. berlandieri, if extant.
Quinoa, a food crop native to South America, is now gaining much attention in China. Quinoa was introduced to China in the 1960s; however, it was only distributed in scattered districts until 2008. The foundation of the Quinoa Committee of the Crop Science Society of China (QCCSSC) in 2015 has promoted the combination of policy-makers, researchers, manufacturers, and farmers related to quinoa. In 2018, the harvest area of quinoa in China increased to nearly 12,000 ha, with a total production of 20,000 tons distributed in 24 provinces. Through the collaboration of enterprise and research institutes, quinoa cultivation techniques were integrated into different eco-regions, and a series of stabilized breeding materials was gained. Additionally, 14 varieties were certified by provincial or municipal cultivar registration committees. Quinoa products, such as noodles, liquor, and yogurt, were developed based on nutritional and technological research. Thanks to the promulgation of the first Chinese industrial standard for quinoa, quinoa products are now available both in online shops and offline supermarkets. Above all, China is undergoing an adjustment of sustainable agricultural policy and increasing demands for more nutritional and diversified foods, demonstrating a great prospect for quinoa.
The present study was performed to assess the genetic parameters for different quantitative and qualitative traits of 13 germplasm lines of Chenopodium spp. The lines were sown in a randomized block design with a plot size of 2 m2, and data were recorded for foliage yield and 8 component traits over 4 successive cuttings. The foliage yield/plot was variable, ranging from 1.07-2.66 t/ha-1 with an average yield of 2.00±0.15. The protein and carotenoid contents averaged 3.70±0.09% and 13.47±0.56 mg 100 g-1, respectively. The range and mean of individual cuttings for plant height, leaf size, protein and foliage yield increased with successive cuttings until the IIIrd cutting, and the yield declined thereafter. High heritability estimates for all the traits under study were obtained for individual cuttings as well as on a pooled basis. High heritability coupled with high genetic gain was observed for foliage yield, carotenoid content and protein content, indicating the presence of additive gene effects.
Molecular markers based on simple sequence repeats (SSRs) constitute a highly effective instrument in the identification of quinoa genotypes (Chenopodium quinoa), and they are very useful in the management and conservation of germplasm banks. The present study was carried out in the Molecular Biology Laboratories of the Megalaboratory of the National University of the Altiplano and the National Agrarian University la Molina. With the objective of determining a minimum group of highly informative initiators for the cultivation of quinoa to study and identify the obtained alleles and implementing and incorporating this technology into research of genetic identity, the molecular analysis of nine loci located by microsatellite markers (SSRs) was performed on a sample of 26 varieties of quinoa: Ayrampo, Amarilla de Marangani, Choclito, Chullpi, Huariponcho, Pandela, Sajama, Witulla, Kcancolla, Negra Collana, Salcedo, Pasankalla, Blanca de Juli, and Chenopodium petiolare from the CIP-Camacani and Blanca de Juli, Kcancolla, Negra Collana, Pasankalla, Altiplano, Illpa INIA, Salcedo, Ayara Blanca de Juli, Ayara Blanca de Arequipa, Ayara Cancolla, Ayara Pasankalla, and Ayara Salcedo from the INIA. Genomic DNA was extracted by PCR (GeneJET Plant Genomic DNA Purification), and 20 microsatellite regions were amplified. The amplified fragments were loaded on polyacrylamide gels to determine their size in base pairs, of which only nine showed products with reading quality (QCA012, QCA015, QCA021, QCA029, QCA034, QCA040, QCA053, QCA055 and QCA067). The fragments were evaluated for their allelic richness, heterozygosity (H) and polymorphic information content (PIC). The data were processed with Gen Alex software ver. 3.5 A total of 67 alleles were detected among the different regions analyzed, with an average of 7 alleles for loci ranging from 142 to 240 bp and an effective number of alleles (ENA) of 5.36. The mean heterozygosity was 0.80, and the mean Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) was 0.81. The markers were highly polymorphic; therefore, the most informative SSR primers in the present study would be made up of three markers with PIC, QCA053 (0.87), QCA015 (0.86) and QCA034 (0.86), for determining the genetic identity of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. These markers can be easily interpreted and are useful for the molecular characterization of quinoa varieties. Analysis of the hierarchical clusters using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method) clustering identified 5 groups at a similarity coefficient of 0.77 among the quinoa varieties studied in this research.
The present research was carried out at the research and production center (CIP) of Camacani. The objective was to agronomically characterize the self-fertilized S5 progeny originating from simple crosses that were genetically distant and close. We worked with six genetically distant simple crosses, Huariponcho × Kancolla, Salcedo INIA × Huariponcho and Pasankalla × Kancolla, and three genetically close crosses, Salcedo INIA × Pink Pandela, Negra Collana × Kancolla and Salcedo INIA × Negra Collana. Seeds were obtained from a plant breeding program by hybridization, and molecular markers were used to estimate genetic distances for the generation of new cultivars. The results show that the highest plant height occurred for the cross Pasankalla × Kancolla, with 93.39 cm, followed by Salcedo INIA × Pandela Rosada, with 88.88 cm, and the lowest height was presented by the cross Negra Collana × Kancolla, with 69.50 cm. The largest diameter of the stem occurred for the Pasankalla × Kancolla cross, with 14.49 mm, followed by the cross Salcedo INIA × Pandela Rosada, with 13.49 mm; the cross Negra Collana × Kancolla presented the smallest stem diameter, with 9.70 mm. The longest panicle length was recorded for the cross Pasankalla × Kancolla, with 28.45 cm, followed by Salcedo INIA × Pandela Rosada, with 27.49 cm, and the shortest panicle length occurred for the cross Salcedo INIA × Negra Collana, with 24 cm. The largest panicle diameter was presented by the cross Pasankalla × Kancolla, with 8.73 cm, followed by Salcedo INIA × Pandela Rosada, with 7.73 cm, and the smallest panicle diameter was presented by the cross Negra Collana × Kancolla, with 5.75 cm. The best 1,000 grain weight was presented by the cross Salcedo INIA × Negra Collana, with 3.80 g and a grain diameter of 2.20 mm, followed by the cross Salcedo INIA × Huariponcho, with 2.48 g and a grain diameter of 1.78 mm and the lowest 1,000-grain weight was presented by the cross Negra Collana × Kancolla, with 2.09 g and a 1.64 mm grain diameter. The best yield was obtained by the cross Huariponcho × Kancolla, with 5,099.28 kg ha-1, followed by the cross Salcedo INIA × Huariponcho, with 5,064.71 kg ha-1; the lowest yield was presented by Collana Negra × Kancolla, with 2,836.55 kg ha-1.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) has the potential to contribute to Malawi's food and nutritional security by adaptation to droughts that have become frequent due to climate change. Eleven genotypes of quinoa were introduced in 2012 and evaluated for plant growth and yield performance in different environments of central and southern regions of Malawi to determine the potential for quinoa production in the country. The first trials were conducted at Bunda in Lilongwe and Bembeke in Dedza in 2012 under irrigated conditions. Trials under rainfed conditions were conducted at the Bunda site in the 2012/13 and 2014/15 cropping seasons. Evaluation of thirteen promising genotypes under irrigated conditions (2014 to 2015) was extended to six extension planning areas, including Chiluwa in Salima and Nkhunga (Nkhotakota) as warm environments, Mwansambo (Nkhotakota) as a mildly warm environment, Malomo (Ntchisi) as a mildly cool environment, and Kalira 2 (Ntchisi) and Nalunga (Dowa) as cool environments. The genotypes were laid out in completely randomized block designs with four replicates. The maturity period of the genotypes was early in the warm sites (88 days in Nkhunga and 94 days in Chiluwa) and delayed in the cooler sites (121 days in Nalunga and 120 days in Kalira). On the basis of genotype and site-specific results, the highest grain yields were achieved for Brightest Brilliant Rainbow (BBR) (3,992 kg ha(-1)), QQ74 (3,652 kg ha(-1)), Black Seeded (3,426 kg ha(-1)), Multi-Hued (3,272 kg ha(-1)) and Puno (3,251 kg ha(-1)) in Nalunga and in QQ74 (4,311 kg ha(-1)), BBR (3,331 kg ha(-1)), Multi-Hued (3,184 kg ha(-1)) and Cherry Vanilla (3,056 kg ha(-1)) in Malomo. The lowest yields obtained were from Cherry Vanilla, Red Head (1,276 kg ha(-1)) and BBR (1,255 kg ha(-1)) in Chiluwa. Quinoa production is possible in Malawi. The genotypes QQ74, BBR, Multi-Hued, Cherry Vanilla, Bio-Bio, Titicaca and Black Seeded have been released for commercial production. Engagement of both government and nongovernmental organizations with a focus on seed systems, processing and utilization can help to integrate quinoa into the food systems of Malawi.
